Squeeking on left front tire

[scottwillia]

I have a 2000 XLS getting close to 60,000 miles. I haven't had any major problems with it but during the summer there was a very load squeeking on the front left tire when ever I hit a bump, push down on the hood, or turn the wheel. After about a month, it went away but the noise has come back over the past two months. I was curious if this has happened to anybody and if you might have some suggestions as to what's wrong with it and if it's something I could fix myself. The only thing I can think of is either the shocks need replacing or hopefully something needs to be greased. Thanks.

 

[jasonb]

not much stuff can be greased up there. shocks are probably shot at 60k or at least getting there so you may want to take care of that anyway. could be anything from that to a bushing.

you can replace your shocks at home if you have a few sockets and wrenches.

 

[daniel cauchon]

check your ball joint it is definitly the prob.

 

[jasonb]

and if it is, get moog brand ones to replace them. ball joints that is. they are also notorious for sucking on our explorers.

usually ball joints make more a clunking type noise though don't they? and they don't really start and stop and start back.

 

[Rhett]

Ball joints can squeak...
Sounds like ball joints. But before I changed them I would make sure it's not the shock doing that. (a shock is easier to change than a ball joint).

 

[daniel cauchon]

I agree with you Rhett...but I had the exact same prob with mine and had to change them...i did both sides ...the upper balljoint is more expensive you have to buy the control arm..it s built in..over in canada the moog upper is «$292 ! the Lower is $80. so figure at least $400 to $500 in the US.

 

[jasonb]

nah.. i got everything needed for less than $250 from rockauto.com moog upper control arms with ball joint and lower ball joints for both sides.

 

[daniel cauchon]

WOW »! Lucky you men ! can you belive it cost me over $800 for this..!

 

[bhults]

I chased a squeak...

For months. Rhett and I actually talked about this in a different thread. I had it at my mechanic who told me there was nothing that looked as though it needed repair (at least he was trying to save me $$$)....I pretty much gave up. After I did my TT, I went to get an alignment at a Goodyear that was more geographically convenient than my mechanic. The guy told me my lower ball joints were shot to hell....he replaced them with Moog's, and I haven't heard a peep out of it since! Thank God! I'm soooo glad it's quiet now....def check out those ball joints!

 

[scottwillia]

if it is a problem with the ball joints, other than the fact that it's very annoying, can i put off replacing them for at least a couple of months or should it be fixed pretty soon (cash flow problems). Also, not knowing much about them, is it something I would replace on just the front left tire or more?
Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

for my 92 i bought 4 balljoints through Carquest which are made by Moog, cost me about 40 bucks for each, so it was 160 bucks and then took just the spindles in and had them pressed in for 30 bucks

 

[explorer4x493]

if it is a problem with the ball joints, other than the fact that it's very annoying, can i put off replacing them for at least a couple of months or should it be fixed pretty soon (cash flow problems). Also, not knowing much about them, is it something I would replace on just the front left tire or more?
Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

Well if we're having the same problem, and i think that we are. Then i don't really believe that going for a while w/out replacing will do more harm to anything but the ears. Not to mention how emberrasing it is to have a very loud squeaking every time you go over the slightest bump.

If you think that you have enough talent to do this chore yourself then do it. I have asked around a shop and their labor times are just rediculous. And these are friends of mine...I got down and looked to see just how hard it might be, and to me it just looks like undoing a few bolts and such in hard to reach places.

As far as replacing which ones, well whatever side the noise or clunking is coming from.

But, you might want to do a search on just filling the boot w/ a little grease by pushing a "grease pin" through. I have read that some have had great results in doing this. Initially they were just doing it for the short term, and then the noise has never come back. But the only downside to having bad ball joints is that there will be alot of extra "play" in the wheel when driving. Especially at high speeds and such. Basically it's almost like having stock sway bars (bad bushings), versus aftermarket "high performance" sway bars (normal bushings). It just messes w/ how your car reacts to your steering.

 

[GJarrett]

Another vote for balljoint. That's your problem, my lower balljoint squeeked exactly as you described when it went bad.

 

[bhults]

I put mine off for quite a while...about 4 months before getting them done. Not so much because I didn't have the $$$, but I didn't know what the hell was wrong! My mechanic told me that I had to get the ball joints done before I could get an alignment done because, as mentioned, the extra play in the wheels will eventually throw it back out of alignment, and you just wasted cash. Also, I'd say to get them both replaced at the same time---you'll eventually have to do them both anyhow, so kill two birds with one stone.

 

[scottwillia]

Outcome from squeeky front tire

I brought my explorer into a Ford dealer where we are friends with the owner and service manager. It was definately the ball joints, however they fixed them for free. According to them, all they did was drill a very small hole into each of them and fill them with fluid. Since then, no squeek and no replacements so keep this in mind as a potential solution if your explorer does the same. I'll keep everyone up-to-date if it ends up not being a long-term solution but they told me it would be.